Page 46 - Ministry Of External Affairs

Efforts on to secure release of former Navy personnel from Qatar: MEA

India on Thursday said it attaches "high priority" to secure early release of eight former Indian Navy personnel who are in detention in Qatar for over six months. The Qatari authorities have not yet publicly made any charges against the Indians who were working for private firm Dahra Global Technologies and Consultancy Services. "We attach high priority to the matter. There are continuous efforts by our embassy for resolution of the matter so that early return and repatriation can take place of the detained Indian nationals," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said at his weekly media briefing. He was responding to a question on the matter. "Our embassy has been seeking consular access. I think one more request is pending so that they can ascertain the welfare and well-being of our nationals and the family meetings and family visits are continued to be facilitated," Bagchi said. Indian officials have been given consular access to the eight men on a number of ..

We welcome confirmation of Eric Garcetti as US Ambassador to India: MEA

India on Thursday welcomed confirmation of Eric Garcetti as the US Ambassador to New Delhi and said it looks forward to working with him to take forward the multifaceted bilateral relations. Considered a close aide of President Joe Biden, Garcetti received the confirmation to the post from the US Senate over two years after he was nominated to the key position. "We welcome the confirmation of Eric Garcetti as the US Ambassador to India. We look forward to working with him to take forward the multifaceted bilateral relations," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said at a media briefing. The Senate voted 52-42 to confirm the former Los Angeles mayor's nomination on Wednesday. His nomination was pending before the US Congress since July 2021 when he was nominated by President Biden. Last week, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted 13-8 in favour of his nomination. Kenneth Juster, the last US envoy in New Delhi, stepped down in January 2021 after Biden became

India is getting 'world ready', world is getting 'India ready': Jaishankar

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday said in India's G20 presidency year, the country is getting "world ready" and the world is getting "India ready". Jaishankar inaugurated the refurbished Golden Haveli in Chandni Chowk. The haveli has been refurbished by BJP leader Vijay Goel who also gave a tour of the haveli to Jaishankar. "Pleased to inaugurate Golden Haveli Dharampura today. Thank Vijay Goel for the opportunity. Promoting our culture & heritage, generating tourism and expanding employment go hand in hand," Jaishankar tweeted along with pictures from the event. "In the G20 year, India is getting 'world ready' and the world is getting 'India ready'," he said. The haveli is situated in the heart of Chandni Chowk near Kinari Bazar.

As Kochi smog continues for eight days, Muraleedharan slams Kerala CM

Union Minister of State for External Affairs V. Muraleedharan on Thursday slammed Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan for his silence on the ongoing problem of smog that has engulfed

After G20 FMM, New Delhi to host Quad foreign ministers' meeting today

The meeting, to be presided over by Foreign Minister S Jaishankar, will be attended by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi, and Australia's Penny Wong

Foreign Affairs Minister S Jaishankar meets Chinese counterpart Qin Gang

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday held bilateral talks with visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang with a focus on the situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). The discussions took place on the sidelines of the G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting. "Met Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang on sidelines of #G20FMM this afternoon. Our discussions were focused on addressing current challenges to the bilateral relationship, especially peace and tranquillity in the border areas," Jaishankar tweeted. It is the first meeting between Jaishankar and Qin after the latter became the Chinese foreign minister in December. The talks came nearly eight months after Jaishankar held a meeting with the then Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi in Bali on the sidelines of a G20 meeting. During the one-hour meeting on July 7, Jaishankar had conveyed to Wang the need for early resolution of all the outstanding issues in eastern Ladakh. The external affairs minister had told Wang that

G20 foreign ministers' meeting today: Schedule, agenda, other details here

G20 foreign ministers' meeting: In a video message, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the experience of the last few years has shown that global governance failed in its mandates

UK Foreign Minister raises BBC issue, EAM Jaishankar says laws are for all

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday "firmly" told his British counterpart James Cleverly that all entities operating in India must fully comply with relevant laws after the visiting foreign secretary raised the issue of tax searches at BBC's offices. Cleverly, who is on a visit to India to attend a meeting of the G20 foreign ministers, raised the issue during a bilateral meeting with Jaishankar. "UK Foreign Secretary brought up the BBC tax issue with EAM today. He was firmly told that all entities operating in India must comply fully with relevant laws and regulations," a source in the Indian government said. Last month, the Income Tax department conducted survey operations at the BBC's offices in Delhi and Mumbai as part of an investigation into alleged tax evasion. The tax scrutiny was conducted weeks after the UK-headquartered British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) aired a two-part documentary, "India: The Modi Question", on the prime minister and the 2002 Gujara

EAM Jaishankar holds wide-ranging talks with Russian counterpart Lavrov

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday held wide-ranging discussions with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov on bilateral cooperation, the Ukraine conflict and issues relating to G-20. The Russian Foreign Minister landed in the national capital on Tuesday night to attend a two-day meeting of the G20 foreign ministers that is taking place amid Russia's escalating confrontation with the Western powers over the Ukraine conflict. "A wide ranging discussion with FM Sergey Lavrov of Russia on #G20FMM sidelines. Exchanged views on our bilateral cooperation and G20 issues," Jaishankar tweeted. It is learnt that the Ukraine conflict figured in the talks. Coinciding with Lavrov's visit to India, the Russian foreign ministry said Moscow considers the G20 as a prestigious forum for the world's leading economies where "balanced" and "consensus" decisions should be made in the interests of all. "We support India's G20 presidency in its commitment to promote a unifying agenda tha

G20 foreign ministers' meeting to kick off in Delhi today; all details here

G20 foreign ministers' meeting: Apart from the main event, Delhi will also host a meeting of foreign ministers of the QUAD nations

India and China discuss disengagement at remaining friction points

The two sides agreed to hold the 18th round of military talks at an early date to achieve the objective in accordance with the existing bilateral agreements and protocols

MEA's geo-economic event 'Asia Economic Dialogue' to be held from Feb 23-25

Ministry of External Affairs' flagship event on geo-economics -- Asia Economic Dialogue -- will be held from February 23-25 in Pune where themes such as global growth prospects and meeting climate targets will be discussed. The Asia Economic Dialogue (AED) is the ministry's annual event and is hosted in collaboration with the Pune International Centre. The principal theme for the Dialogue's seventh edition is Asia and the Emerging World Order', a Ministry of External Affairs statement said. The dialogue will also discuss themes such as global growth prospects; How the Global South will shape the G20 agenda; the Metaverse: Understanding the Future; and Meeting climate targets: The Road Ahead. The inaugural session would be a conversation between External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Bhutan's Finance Minister Lyonpo Namgay Tshering and Maldivian Finance Minister Ibrahim Ameer. More than 44 speakers from various countries, including Brazil, the US, the UK, South Africa, Bhutan, ...

Congress calls Jaishankar 'failed' foreign minister on his china remark

The Congress on Wednesday hit out at External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, dubbing him as a "failed" minister and alleging that his remarks on China are demeaning the valour of India's armed forces and lowering their morale. Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate said by saying that "we are the smaller economy and China is the bigger economy and we cannot go and pick a fight with them", Jaishankar has made a "blasphemous" statement. She also accused the external affairs minister of reducing foreign policy to photo-ops and a chest-thumping exercise, alleging that it is being used to secure contracts for a businessman. "What exactly does he mean by saying so. Is he telling us that we are not capable of protecting our territorial sovereignty," she asked, alleging that Jaishankar is a "failed foreign minister". "What he is trying to do by saying this is break and shake the confidence of our Indian Army and demean the valour of our armed forces. This is one of the most blasphemous ...

India will strengthen international bodies to promote Hindi, says MEA

The announcement of the language laboratory was made by Muraleedharan ji. With this, teachers will be able to get training. Right now we are focusing on software

FS Kwatra calls on PM Hasina, reaffirms deeper economic cooperation

Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra on Wednesday called on Bangladesh's Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina during which he reaffirmed India's support for wider and deeper development and economic partnership with her country. Kwatra arrived here on Tuesday evening from Kathmandu, Nepal, on a two-day visit. "Foreign Secretary @AmbVMKwatra paid a courtesy call on Hon'ble Prime Minister H.E Sheikh Hasina in Dhaka. FS conveyed warm wishes of PM @narendramodi to PM H.E Sheikh Hasina and reaffirmed India's support for wider and deeper development & economic partnership with Bangladesh," the Indian High Commission tweeted. Earlier in the day, Kwatra held talks with his Bangladeshi counterpart Masud Bin Momen. "Foreign Secretary @AmbVMKwatra held Foreign Office Consultations (FOCs) with @FSMasud of Bangladesh. Both sides reviewed the entire gamut of bilateral partnership including political, security, trade, investment, defence, connectivity, water, power and sub-regional cooperation," the Indian ..

MoS V.Muraleedharan's house in Thiruvananthapuram 'vandalised': Sources

Union MoS for External Affairs V.Muraleedharan's residence in the state capital was found vandalised on Thursday morning with broken window panes and suspected blood stains on the staircase: sources

2 teams of NDRF ready to join rescue operations in Turkey, says MEA

India said it was ready to help Turkey in its hour of crisis after a massive earthquake measuring 7.8 on the Richter scale struck a wide area in the country, said the MEA on Monday

UN General Assembly President Csaba Korosi to visit India from Jan 29-31

UNGA President will meet with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in New Delhi, while continuing on topics raised during their last meeting in December

Mediterranean region will see more of India in future: Jaishankar

The EAM also mentioned that given how comfortable India and Cyprus are with each other, both countries can also plan on working together in third countries

India unlikely to join Ukraine 'grain corridor', says MEA spokesperson

India is unlikely to join the Ukraine 'grain corridor', the External Affairs Ministry said on Thursday, adding bilateral mechanisms are in place for India to extend food grain assistance to several countries in the global south. "We have been extending assistance to countries from the south bilaterally. I don't have any clarity if we will join, probably not, our focus has been on bilateral south-south mechanisms," MEA Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said when asked if India is considering joining the grain corridor. "As of now, I don't have intimation that we are looking to join this initiative," he said. The Initiative on the Safe Transportation of Grain and Foodstuffs from Ukrainian ports, also called the Black Sea Grain Initiative, is an agreement between Russia and Ukraine made with Turkey and the United Nations (UN) during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, there was a complete halt of maritime grain shipments from ...